cranston



(No Model.) 4 SheetsSheet 1.

J. F. ORANSTON & J. H. WESSON.

LOOM.

Patented Jan. 27

(No ModeL) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. 1-". ORANSTON & J. H. wnssou.

LOOM.

No. 445,395. Patented Jan. 27, 1891 (N'oModell) v '4 sheets-sheet a. J.P. ORANSTON 81; J. H. WES$ON.

LOOM.

Patented Jan. 27,1891.

as on, mo'roqmmo WASHINGTON, a. c.

(No Model.)

J. I; GRANSTONVEE J. H. WESSON. LOOM. No. 445,395.

Patented Ja;11.'27, 1891. 1 29.4.

4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

UNTThn STaTns PATENT @rrrcn.

JAMES F. GRANSTON AND JOSEPH H. WESSON, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

LOOlVl.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 445,395, dated January27, 1891..

Application filed May '7, 1890- Serial No. 350,860. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JAMES F. ORANsTON and JOSEPH H. Wesson, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Ham pdenand State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements inLooms, of which the following 1s a specification.

This invention relates to looms, and has for its obj ect the improvedconstruction and mode of operation of various parts thereof, all ashereinafter fully described, and more particularly referred to in theclaims.

In the drawings forming part of this speci fication, Figure 1 is a sideelevation, Fig. 2 a transverse section, and Fig. 3 a longitudinalvertical section, of aloom constructed according to our invention, saidFig. 3 being taken on line 3 3, Fig. 2, and said Fig. 2 being taken online 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section on line at 4, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is abottom plan view of the valve-actuating slide-bar in the position shownin Figs. 1, 2, and 3, this figure showing a bottom plan of the lay-beamor batten, the said slide-bar in this figure being shown in the sameposition on said beam in which it is shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a bottomplan view of the lav-beam and of said valve-actuating slide-bar, therockingbar shifter, and a portion of the rock-shaft on which saidshifter is fixed, this view showing said slide-bar in its normalposition, or in that one in which it does not engage with eithervalve-stem. Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the lay-beam and saidslide-bar thereon, and of said roekiugbar shifter, the latter beingshown partly in section. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the saidsliding bar. Fig. 9 a section of said sliding bar on line 9 9, Fig. 8.

The improvements in looms herein described relate to means forpneumatically operating the shuttle thereof and for controlling andoperatingby the movement of the batten the valves which control thesupply of air which acts upon pistons which engage with and throw theshuttle, and improved means for operating the heddle-frames of the loomby the movement of the batten and in consonance therewith, and to otherdetails of improvementbelow referred to.

In the drawings, A indicates the frame of the loom.

D is the main driving-shaft hung in suit able bearings on the rear endof the'loomframe, having thereon, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, adriving-pulley E, and outside of the latter a common loose pulley,whereby the loom may be driven,'as usual, by the application of a beltto said pulley E, as shown in Fig. 1. A second shaft J is hung insuitable bearings on the loom above and parallel with the said shaft D,and on each end of said shaft J is fixed a crank-gear h.

To the upper part of the frame of the loom are attached twoshuttle-boxes B, preferably of cylindrical form, which shuttle-boxes areof sufficient length to permit of the operation of a pistonf in each,which pistons consist of a thick disk of metal or other suitablematerial properly fitted in the outer end of each shuttle-box to adaptit to be moved toward the inner open end of the box by airpressureacting against one side thereof. A pistoirstop s is arranged in eachshuttlebox B, which consists, preferably, of an annular rib extendingaround the interior of the box, or any other suitable stop may beapplied which will limit the motion of said piston when driven againstthe shuttle, as below described. Metallic springs o are attached to theinterior of the shuttle-boxes, (see Figs. 2 and 3,) between which theshuttle runs when thrown into the boX, and whereby it is prevented fromrebounding when it strikes and drives the piston backwardly to theposition shown in the box at the right in Fig. 2, the shuttle n beingthere shown in the position in which it lies after being thrown into theshuttle-box and before the next movement of the piston f thereagainst.The said pistonsfare in practice fitted to move rather freely in theshuttle-box s, first, in order that they may obey easily the pneumaticforce which drives them against the shuttles, as above referred to, and,secondly, to allow any air-pressure that may exist behind a pistonafterit shall have moved against the shuttle and the valve 26 shall havebeen closed to exhaust itself between the piston and the adjoining wallof the shuttle-box, to the ,end that the rearward movement of the pistonshall not be ends of said conduits are connected with twov air-valvebodies each of said valve-bodies being provided with a valve 26, havingan upwardly extending spindle 27, one of said valves in Fig.2 beingshown open and one shut. Said valve-bodies are provided with the usualstuffing-boxes at their upper ends, throu-ghwhich said valve-spindlespass, and to the upper ends of each of the latter are applied two nuts30 and 31, the latter ones having their uppermost sides of conical orconvex form and serving as set-nuts to retain the nuts 30 in properposition and to prevent them from becoming loose on the spindles. Aspring 28 is applied to each valvcspindle between the nut 30 thereon andthe stuffing-box nut 29, which spring serves to aid in drawing the valve26 against the valve-seat in the valve-body-22. The lower ends of thesaid valve-bodies 22 are connected to a main cornpressed-air conduit 2%by the branch air-pipes 23. Compressed air is supplied to said mainconduit 24 from any suitable air-compressor; or, if preferred, anair-compressor may be run with each loom.

The batten 5 of the loom consists, preferably, of a suitable metallicframe, as shown, having applied thereto the usual reed, and said frameis secured to two slide-blocks 46, which, with said batten, have asliding motion longitudinally in theloom-frame A, the upper side railsthereof being slotted,as shown, and each of said blocks having a ribthereon entering the slots in said rails, as shown in Fig. 2. Therequisite reciprocating longitudinal movements of the batten areimparted thereto by means of the connection of each of said slide-blocks46 with the aforesaid two crankgears h by means of two connecting-rods6, one end of which has a crank-connection with said gears, as shown inFigs. 1 and 3, and a pivotal connection by their opposite ends with saidslide-blocks 4G.

The warp-beam 3 and the cloth-beam 13 are hung in any suitable manner onthe opposite ends of the loom, the warp-yarn 4 being drawn from thewarpbeam in the usual manner. A suitable take-up motion is imparted tothe cloth-beam through its connection, as below described, with theintermittently-rotating shaft 9, which extends across the loom-framebetween the batten and the cloth-beam. Said shaft 9 has fixed thereontwo ratchet-wheels 8, one near each end, which are each engaged by apawl 7, each of which is pivoted to said slide-block 46, outside of theloom-frame, said pawls each restmg upon pins 10, fixed on the side ofthe loom-frame, which pins cause the pawls to rise up when moving fromsaid ratchet-wheels, and they so hold said pawls until the batten againmoves forward. A spring 1.2,attached to each connecting-rod 6, andhaving one end thereof engaging with a pin projecting from the pawl, asshown, throws the free end of the latter downward into engagement withsaid ratchet-wheel when the batten moves forward in the loom,the pawlthen taking the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, andimparting a partial rotation to the shaft 9 with each forward movementof the batten. At the side of one of said ratchetwheels 8 on said shaft9 (see Fig. 4) is placed a pinion 14, having a frictional engagementwith one end of thehub of said ratchet-wheel by means of atightening-nut and a spring, as shown in said last-named figure, or byany other suitable well-known means. The said pinion ll engages withagear-wheel 15 on the cloth-beam shaft 16 through an intermediate pinion2?, whereby the cloth-beam is given a suitable rotary take-up motion;

The mechanism which is operated by and in conjunction with the batten 5,whereby the movement of the latter is caused to control and operate theair-valves above referred to, is constructed and operates as follows:The batten 5 has attached to the lower border or section of its frame avalve-actuating slidebar 17. (See Figs. 2 and 5 to 8, inclusive.) Saidbatten-frame has a central boss ct on its side, through which alongitudinal bar I), fixed between the ends of said slide-bar, passes,and has a sliding motion therein. A spring 0 is located on each side ofsaid boss and has one end abutting thereagainst and the opposite endagainst said slide-bar. Said springs act to bring said slide-bar to anormally-central position horizontally on the batten-frame. Saidslidebar has two pin-channels cc 0: and two camgrooves o 0 in its underside for engagement with pins 18, below described, and has a pending lip19 at each end for alternate engagement with the stems of the air-valvesin the air-conduits, which furnish compressed air to the shuttle-boxes.The said slide-bar is longitudinally slotted, as shown in Figs. 2 and 7,and screws or bolts 29 pass through said slots into the side of theframe of the batten 5, thereby securing the slide-bar thereto. Saidslide-bar, as shown in the drawings, consists of two end pieces e e,united by said longitudinal bar I), on which are said pending lips 19and an intermediate part 21, (see Fig. 8,) secured by screws to said twoend pieces; but it is obvious that the slide-bar may be made in onepiece, if desired. The said pending lips 19 on the said slide-bar 17 assaid bar moves over the upper ends of said valvespindles engagealternately with one and then the other of said spindles, as shown atthe left in Fig. 2, thereby driving the Valve 26 downward, to open it,as shown, the valve closing immediately that the lip on the slidebarpasses out of contact with the valve spindle. The nuts on said spindlesare adjustable toward and from the slide-bar for properengagementtherewith. The saidslidcthen forward again.

bar 17 is given a sliding motion, first toward one valve-spindle andthen the other, by-the engagement of the slide-bar alternately with oneand then with the other of two pins 18 in the rocking-bar shifter 32,more particularly described farther on, the pins so engaging therewithby entering the cam-grooves 0 in said sliding bar while the batten-framemoves backward after having beaten up the weftthread. Fig. 2 shows theposition of the sliding bar and one of said pins 18 when the baris aboutto move out of engagement therewith, and when so disengaged the barslides to its said normal position, and when the frame of the batten 5next moves forward that part of said bar in which one of' saidpin-channels 00 is formed passes over the uplifted pin 18, and thelatter engages slightly with one side of said channel, which is cut atan incline to the direction of movement of the batten-frame, therebyeffecting such a sliding movement of the bar 17 as prevents it fromengaging with the valve-spindle when it next moves forward. Thelast-named movement of the sliding bar need be but very slight, andtherefore the said pin-channels extend only part way across the underside of said bar, growing more and more shallow from front to rear, andto accommodate said pins 18 in the rocking-bar shifter 32 to this formof channel said pins are made with a collar thereon between the endsthereof, as shown in Fig. 7, and each of said pin-collars enters achamber in said shifter, the lower end of which has a nut 33 therein. Aspring 34: between said nut and pin-collar holds the pin upward andpermits it to be crowded downward when the said sliding bar channeledsurface passes over its end. The said rocking-bar shifter 32 is fixed ona longitudinally-extending rock-shaft 35, hung in the loom under theframe of the batten 5. Said rock-shaft is actuated by two three armedcam-wheels 36, fixed on said intermittently-rotatingratchet-wheel-carrying shaft 9, said cam-wheels being set in suchpositions on their said shaft as causes them to act one after the otheron the laterally-extending arms 37 on said longitudinally-extendingshaft, (see Fig. 4,) thereby imparting a rocking motion to said shaftand to said rocking-bar shifter. The rocking motion of said shaft isintermittent, because it is caused by the forward motion only of theframe of the batten 5, and it rests after being rocked in one directionuntil said frame moves rearward and allows a shuttle to be thrown, andThe said arms 37 have friction sleeves or rolls to on the parts thereof,which are engaged by said cam-wheels.

The above-referred-to improved means for operating the heddle-frames ofthe loom by the movement of the batten consist of the below-describedmechanism.

The heddle'fra'mes 38 and 39 are supported to have the usual verticalmovements between two standards 40, secured to the loom-frame,

said standards having on their inner opposite sides suitable grooves inwhich the ends of said heddle-frames slide. The front one 38 of saidheddle-frames is connected with rockshaft 35 by means of an arm 41,fixed by one end to the said shaft and having its opposite end pivotallyattached to said front heddleframe by a bolt or screw which passesthrough a slightly-elongated hole in said arm and enters the lower partof said frame. (See Fig. 2.) By means of the above-described connectionof the front heddle-frame 38 with said rockshaft 35 said frameis giventhe requisite vertical motion to form the shed in the warp. The rearheddle-frame 39 is given the requisite vertical reciprocating motions indirections opposite to those of the front frame by means of pinions 42between the frames, one at each end thereof, which engage with racks 43on the frames, as shown in Fig. 3. Said pinions are supported on studs44, fixed on plates 45, secured to the outer sides of the standards 40,which studs project through said standards and hold the pinions in theposition shown between the heddle-frames.

The specific operation of the principal detail parts of the loom isalready above described.

The general practical operation of the loom is as follows, it beingunderstood that the main air-conduit 24: is properlysupplied withcompressed air under suitable pressure to actuate the pistons fin theshuttle-boxes to throw the shuttle through the shed of the warp from oneside of the loom into the shuttie-box of the opposite side. Assumingthat the batten 5 is in a position back of the shuttle-boxes and thatthe shuttle has been thrown from one box into the other, the batten thenmoves forward and heats up the weft or filling, and in so doing thepawls 7 operate, as aforesaid, to rock the shaft 9 and cause one of thecam-wheels 36 thereon to act upon one of the arms 37 on shaft 35 androck said shaft, thereby turning upward one arm of the bar-shifter 32and bringing the pin 18 therein into such position as to cause thesliding bar 17 to be engaged therewith when the batten shall movebackward, whereby one of the lips 19 on said sliding bar is caused to beengaged with one of the valve-spindles and open a valve connectedtherewith, and cause one of the shuttles to bethrown when the battenmoves backward over said valve-spindle. The aforesaid rocking movementof the shaft 35 causes at the same time the requisite movement of thetwo heddle-frames. The batten again moves forward and backward, andthrough the described instrumentalities the shuttle is caused to bethrown from the opposite side of the loom through the shed of the warpto the other shuttle-box, the said second forward movement of the batteneffecting a rocking of the shaft 35 in the opposite direction to thefirst-described one, and a consequent presentation of the opposite endof the bar-shifter 32 and its pin 18 to the opposite end of the slidingbar, thereby causing the latter to effect the operation of the air-valveand shuttle-piston on the opposite side of the loom to thefirst-mentioned one. The said rocking of shaft 35 causes the requisitechange of position of theheddles, as before.

That we claim as our invention is 1. In a loorn,.the batten thereof,having a longitudinally-reciprocating movement in the frame thereof, andmechanism, substantially as described, for so actuating said batten,shuttle -throwing mechanism consisting of shuttle-boxes arranged onopposite sides of the loom, compressed-air conduits connected with saidboxes, and a piston in each of said boxes having apneumatically-actuated movement therein against the shuttle, combinedwith an air-valve foreach shuttle-box in said air-conduits, each valvehavinga spindle projecting therefrom, a valve-operating slide-barattached to said batten and alternately engaging said valve-spindles,and mechanism, substantially as described, actuated by said batten formoving said slid e-bar thereon, substantially as set forth.

2. In a loom, the batten thereof, having a longitudinally-reciprocatingmovement in the frame thereof, and mechanism, substantially asdescribed,for so actuating said batten, shuttlethrowing mechanismconsisting of shuttle-boxes arranged on opposite sides of the loom,compressed-air conduits connected with said boxes, a piston in each ofsaid boxes havinga pneumaticallyeactuated movement therein against theshuttle, combined with an air-valve for each sh uttle-box in saidair-conduits, each valve having a spindle projecting therefrom, avalve-operating slide-bar havin g cam-grooves therein, attached to saidbatten and alternately engaging said valve-spindles, anintermittentlyerotating shaft extending across the loom, apawl-and-ratchet connection, substantially as described, between saidshaft and batten, a rock-shaftextending longitudinally in the loom,having laterallyextending arms thereon, two cam-wheels fixed on saidintermittently-rotating shaft, having alternate engagement with saidarms, and a bar-shifter fixed on said rockshaft, having pins thereon forengagement with the camgrooves of said slide bar, whereby a slidingmotion is imparted thereto toward and from each of said valve-spindles,substantially as set forth.

3. In a loom, standards fixed to the frame thereof, between which theheddle frames are, supported and have their movements at right angles tothe line of the warp, heddleframes having racks on their inner adjacentsides, and pinions supported on said standards, having engagement withsaid racks, combined with the batten having alongitudinally-reciprocating movement in the frame of the loom,mechanism, substantially as de- 1 scribed, for so actuating said batten,an infixed on therear end of said last-named shaft,

having its free end pivotally connected with one of said heddle-frames,substantially as set forth.

4. The batten having a longitudinally-reciprocating movement in theframe of the loom, and mechanism, substantially as described, for soactuating the same, the slidebar carrying the springs c 0, having asliding connection, substantially as described, with l the batten andhaving pending lips thereon, I and cam-grooves and pin-channels in itslower side, combined with the spindles of the :air-valves, each having aconical-sided nut thereon for engagement with said pending lips, therocking-bar shifter, having springsupported pins therein for engagementwith the slide-bar, a two-armed rock-shaft on which said bar-shifter isfixed, an intermittently-rotating shaft, having two cam-wheels fixed onsaid last-named shaft having alternate engagement with said arms, and apawland-ratchct connection, substantially as described, between saidintermittently-rotated shaft and the batten, substantially as set forth.

5. The batten having a boss a centrally located on the side of itsframe, the slide-bar 17, having a bar I) therein extending through saidboss, and springs on said bar (7, acting against the opposite sides ofsaid boss to move the slide-bar to a normally-central position on thebatten-frame, combined and operating substantially as set forth.

6. The batten having a sliding connection, substantially as described,with the loomframe, and the shaft 9, having ratchet-wheels fixedthereon, combined with the shaft J, having crank-gears thereon,connecting-rods between said gears and batten, pawls connected to thebatten for engagement with said ratchetwheels, springs attached to saidconnectingrods and engaging with said pawls, and pins on the loom-frameon which said pawls ride, substantially as set forth.

7. In a loom, the batten thereof, having a longitudinally-reciprocatingmovement in the frame thereof, and mechanism, substantially asdescribed, for so actuating said batten, shuttle-throwing mechanismconsisting of shuttle-boxes arranged on opposite sides of the loom, saidboxes each having a pistonstop on its inner wall to limit the inwardmovement of the piston therein, compressedair conduits connected withsaid boxes, and a piston in each of said boxes having apneumatically-actuated movement therein against the shuttle, combinedwith an air valve for each shuttle-box in said air-conduits, each havinga spindle projecting therefrom, a conical-sided nut attached to each ofsaid spindles, and a spring applied thereto to I draw the valve to itsseat, a valve-operating slide-bar attached to said batten andalternately engaging said valve-spindles, and

mechanism, substantially as described, actuated by said batten, formoving said slide- 10 bar thereon, substantially as set forth.

JAMES F. CRANSTON. JOSEPH H. XVESSON.

Witnesses:

H. A. CHAPIN, G. M. CHAMBERLAIN.

